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"The handwriting on the wall"
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Uparsin

Daniel 5

King Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, King Belshazzar, gave a great banquet and used the golden and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. They praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Application:
How often do we praise the things that we hold in our hands, or what we can touch or see? “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
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Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall. The King grew pale and his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.

Application:
“ The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1
“ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18
**Discuss my fear of being called into my bosses office before being saved. But after being saved, I was not fearful.
“ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right…” Romans 13:3
“ Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” 3 John 11
“ He who does what is right is righteous….Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.” I John 3:7,10
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The King called for the wise men to read the writing and give its meaning. But they could not read it or understand it. So the King grew even paler and his nobles were baffled:
Application:
I Corinthians 2:14
“Twas blind, but now I see!”
**Talk about how I couldn’t understand the Bible before I was saved
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The queen came in and told Belshazzar about Daniel, whom Nebuchadnezzar had used, and so Daniel was called in.
Application:
There is A Book. In times of distress, the unsaved may turn to it for answers. Give the story of the cardiologist resuscitating the dying man…. (pp.3-4 “Beyond Death’s Door)
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Before Daniel interprets the dream, he reminds King Belshazzar that Nebuchadnezzar was humbled until he acknowledged God.
But Belshazzar had not humbled himself, even though he knew all of that.
Application:
Belshazzar learned the “bad habits” from his grandfather, but not his good.

Application:
All of us don’t receive supernatural instruction on Jesus and repentance, but we are to learn from those who have (disciples, Paul,etc), i.e. their testimonies… and humble ourselves.
**Read p.7 of “Beyond Death’s Door” We often ignore the reliable testimony of others just to believe what we want.
Why would we do that? Why do we not want to come to Jesus?
“ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19
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Belshazzar praised the gods of silver and gold, which he held in his own hands.
But he would not honor the God who held Belshazzar in His hand! So God sent the hand that
wrote on the wall.
Application:
We brag about our possessions (toys, games, clothes, cars, houses, etc), which we hold in our hands.
But often we do not brag about Jesus, who holds us in His hand!

____________________________________________________________________ MENE, MENE -- Means “A mina, A mina” or “numbered”

TEKEL – Means “Shekel” or “weighed”

UPARSIN -- “And Parsin”: Means “divided, half-mina” or “Persians”

Application:
Here God’s word had a “formal” meaning (Mina, Shekel, Half-Mina) and an “applied” meaning (Numbered, Weighed, Divided/Persians). God’s word can speak to YOU! (ex. “All have sinned…” and “For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret” Ephesians 5:12) When you don’t want to believe the Scriptures, you will see in it what you want to believe.
Mene: “God has numbered the days of your reign (your kingdom) and brought it to an end.”

Tekel: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting (deficient)”

Peres: (singular form of “Parsin”; “U” means “and”) “Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Application: MENE MENE
God’s Word proclaims that there will be a day when our life will come to an end. For many of us, it will come suddenly, just as it did with King Belshazzar.

Application: TEKEL
If we were to be weighed on the scales now, would we be found deficient?

Application: UPARSIN
Without faith in Jesus, we will not keep what we have. We will lose it all at death, and it will be
given to another (Matthew 25:28, “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”)
++++What we do with our money reveals our hearts.
++++Money is used to teach spiritual principals

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